Welcome, Mayland. If I were you I'd stop pulling out that ivy immediately and keep it until the drought is over. Which could be in a few months or a few years. Ivy is not PC these days by conventional wisdom, but with the normal very modest attention it requires it is beautiful, tough, very easy care, a historic and time-honored Southern plant, AND drought tolerant. And particularly valuable in your case right now, yours has well-established root systems which will help it survive drought and children. Kids will wear thin spots in it but it'd take a football team practicing on it daily to actually kill it. As far as this fantastic plant's one big negative, that it can be a pernicious weed, only the adult form form makes seed, and it's easy to remove any plant that progresses to that mature stage. And as far as growing up into the trees, it requires sustained neglect to get up there. A trim around the bases once a year will take care of anything that escapes the mower or weedwacker. As far as mowing goes, it's far more environmentally responsible than lawn as it only needs to be mowed each one or two years depending on how trim you prefer to keep it. It needs minimal feeding, no artificial fertilizers required, to keep it looking nice, and with mowing it will never develop enough depth to harbor the rodents some people associate with it. And be easy for your kids to run around on top of. Really the only other significant negative is that it's so out of favor these days, to the point that everyone is pulling it up six ways from Sunday without even considering the possibility that it might be valuable. But if this drought continues I predict that will change--big time.

Those are tough areas. The experts say don't put mulch up against your house because it can bring in termites, so that's probably why the front bed was done that way in the first place. I would go with native shrubs, because they can handle our summer downpours without rotting, and our winter dryness without shriveling up. There are a few I really like, I'm sure others will have some good ideas. But my favorites are: Spanish stopper, it makes a nice narrow, upright shrub. You could try that behind the foxtails. It's slow growing, but exceptionally hardy. It will get tall in time. Cocoplum, under the windows, also a really hardy native, with pretty, copper-colored new leaves. It doesn't get as tall as the stoppers and it keeps its shape well without a lot of pruning, which would be a pain behind the bed, up against the house. Coontie, another slow-growing native that's really pretty, with a lovely mound shape, no pruning required at all. But they're sometimes hard to get started. Once started, they're gorgeous, and mine took off after the first year. But I have friends who have planted them and watched them die. So I think I was just lucky. Mine are in dappled, bright shade, and like it there, though I've also seen them in sun. I think starting them in sun might be harder. Coonties host a native butterfly that is in trouble, so they have that added benefit. And they are tidy, gorgeous plants when mature. With the coonties, I've had a bug problem. I've battled them a couple times, there's a specific bug it and the gardenia get at the same time. I was able to rub and wash it off the coontie both times, but I've been told you can just cut them down to the ground _ once they're establshed - and they'll come back up bug-free. Don't even ask me about the blasted gardenia. For some color in those beds, you might try some crotons. They're not really native, but they're pretty hardy and like our conditions. But, as Ricky as taught us, they're actually small trees and they don't really like to be pruned into shrubs. That said, I have a mixed hedge with several crotons in it that I love. Once their treeness begins to show, you can put plants under them to hide the trunks. Have you thought about a rock garden for the south-facing area? I'm just filling one in now, so I'm no expert, but the advice I got here on GW was succulents and desert roses. I saw a gorgeous one at Fairchild that really inspired me. If it's a soil problem because of the stucco/cbs, I've been advised here on GW to put my coffee grounds on it to amend the soil. That's kind of a chronic solution - ie, you'll have to keep doing it. But it definitely helps where the soil isn't acidic enough. You might try that near the back door (I'm assuming that's somewhere near your kitchen) and after awhile, you could try some kitchen herbs there. As for the gutter guy, I agree, his advice is pretty suspicious. But maybe someone else here can explain what he's...

Phaltyme: A memorable line from the book "The American Weekend Garden," ...some of the worst weeds will be plants you planted yourself, in the beginning! It echoes in my head whenever I work in the garden. So it took you decades to get the stuff out. Some things you can't completely eradicate, without resorting to gallons of poison, which is definitely not the way to go. Ivy will always come in from the next yard over. Vinca is a famous escaper of gardens, it is growing all over California state parks now. I hope to reach an accommodation with the invaders I can't completely eradicate. PlantFreak: I had a great laugh reading your post. Naturally, if Japanese plants are weeds all over the place here, the reverse would be true! But I never thought of it. I suppose there's some sort of justice in the situation. --O

Texasturbo I live in Austin 1st rule of thumb is never plant mondo aka monkey grass in the sun it will fry even in a mild summer even in Dallas.The liriope or lily turf is a good suggestion in fact lots of people (as you can see confuse the two). WoolyStemodia(ok in Austin not the metroplex) and Bulbine would not be reliably cold hardy in the metroplex .Low growing sedums are a good idea if you want some there year after year.Perennial color Homestead purple verbena or Blue princess Verbena (Found growing in England by Greg Grant)yes it takes the heat too.There are some annual Salvias like S. coccinea "Forrest Fire" or "Coral Nymph" others like purslane do well in the heat then Pansies or dianthus for winter. Pansies will need watering though if winter is dry. it is a dry winter.You have some good gardening information from Howard Garrett (Plants of the metroplex)or Neal Sperry who has a gardening show on KRLD 1080am Saturday & Sunday from 8-11am. Have fun!!